1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable digital playback apparatus, and more particularly to a method of displaying an adaptive album for a portable terminal and an apparatus for providing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, functions of MP3 file playback apparatuses have been diversified and include playing audio, outputting caption, displaying album art, and the like. In general, a portable digital playback apparatus plays data of diverse digital types. Representative examples are an MP3 player and an MP3 phone to which the MP3 player has been applied.
Although the source of data may have various formats, MP3 type source data (hereinafter referred to as “MP3 data”) encoded in an MP3 encoding method is explained briefly to give a background.
MP3 encoding is one of high-quality audio compression techniques prescribed in MPEG1, and one of audio encoding techniques which can compress audio 50 times more than a general CD technique while maintaining the CD sound quality. In the encoded MP3 data, a special frame called ID3 tag information is added to the front or rear end of a data file. For example, ID3 tag information may include text and other data related to sound source files, that is, ID3 tag items.
A user can easily search for or classify specified MP3 data among a plurality of MP3 data stored in a digital playback apparatus during operation. The data field of such ID3 tag items includes Version 1.1 and Version 2.0.
First, Version 1.1 of the ID3 tag is composed of a data field of information, such as title, player or singer, album name, year of issue, genre, information such as additional explanation, and the like.
Next, Version 2.0 or higher of the ID3 tag has added data fields of information, such as the words of a song/text, attached photo, event timing code, and the like.
In general, the digital playback apparatus has functions of generating and editing a playback list that includes only sound data which a user searches for or classifies using the ID3 tag items, or which the user has directly selected or classified using such ID3 tag items. This playback list may be used so that a user can easily replay the sound data that is searched, classified, or selected by the user later. Generally, a playback list generation method that is called M3U is used to play back MP3 data.
However, such an M3U playback list is generated only as a text file that includes a numbered list according to the file path or position order of the audio data included in the list. That is, the M3U file format only includes file position or path information, a file name, and a comment field, but does not include other information included in the ID3 tag of the MP3 data.
Moreover, information on the sound data among MP3 data stored in the digital playback apparatus may not be accurately recorded on the ID3 tag items. That is, for example, if an artist name, issue year, and the like, are not accurately recorded, such information is not included in the ID3 items of the corresponding MP3 data. In this case, the digital playback apparatus indicates this as “Unknown” since no information is included when reading the ID3 tag information of the MP3 data. Accordingly, the MP3 data can be classified only as the “Unknown” item in the corresponding ID3 tag item.
Accordingly, there is no way for the user to differently classify the MP3 data that is “Unknown” item. That is, if a genre among the ID3 tag items of the MP3 data is “Unknown”, the user cannot classify or search for the corresponding MP3 data in other genres except for the “Unknown” item.
Furthermore, since an album art that indicates a jacket image of the corresponding sound source data is kept in a fixed form of a tetragon in the ID3 tag, as illustrated as “110” in FIG. 1, the audio data including diverse ID3 tag information are collectively provided. That is, “110” of FIG. 1 shows diverse sound source data stored in a portable terminal, and “112” of FIG. 1 shows a next window after a selection of item for replay from a particular album.
As a result, a GUI (Graphic User Interface) user is typically not satisfied with such tetragonal shape of the album art displayed during operation as in FIG. 1. That is, the user many want to see another different shape during display. The album art that is displayed, as shown in “110” of FIG. 1 using the ID3 tag information has a limited data display mode that can be expressed. This problem also occurs in the same manner while the corresponding sound data is played as shown in “112” of FIG. 1.
If the tetragonal album art is modified into another shape in order to solve the above-mentioned problem, there is a possibility of generating IPR (Intellectual Property Right) issue from the author of the corresponding audio data.